


Haven

by UntoldStory



Category: Supernatural, Supernatural RPF
Genre: Age Difference, Age Play, Alternate Universe, Cockles, DDLG, Depressed Jared, Dom Jared, Dom Jared Padalecki, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Jensen Ackles - Freeform, Male-Female Friendship, Male/Female Relationship, Misha Collins - Freeform, Mishalecki - Freeform, Protective Misha Collins, References to Supernatural (TV), Romance, Sam Winchester - Freeform, Smut, Supernatural Convention, Supernatural smut, Top Castiel, Top Misha, Winchester - Freeform, dd/lg, girlxgirl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-01-06 16:18:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12214389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UntoldStory/pseuds/UntoldStory
Summary: We knew, going into things, that we were two broken people.For the most part, you can make the pieces fit and sometimes, they'll even fit perfectly.But sooner or later, the pieces were just going to fall apart again.





	1. a little unsteady

_**@jarpad: I need all the love I can get right now. Please please give me a few seconds of your time and write me. #AlwaysKeepFighting** _

Jared let out a sigh as he sank lower in the seat, pulling his sunglasses further over his eyes. He was finally back in Austin, but he couldn’t help but feel guilty as his thoughts drifted to his fans and even his co-stars. He was constantly letting people down. Hesitantly, he checked his phone for any new notifications. Even though he knew it wouldn't be the case, he was terrified people would be sending hate this way. What could he _possibly_ need time away for? He had a perfect career, adoring fans that supported his work, a loving and supporting group of friends and family – why was _someone like him_ depressed?

Up until twenty-four hours ago, he wasn't sure he was going to wake up today. As far as he was concerned, he was done. He was done with letting people down, he was done with being a burden to so many people and he was done living up to the impossible standards that he had set for himself. He smiled bitterly to himself, almost letting out a laugh as he opened his text messages. A few from his parents, a few from other castmates, and one from the man that had point-blank argued with him yesterday when he said others were depending on him: "You're not okay. Put the oxygen mask on yourself first."

Begrudgingly, he did so. He made a last-minute decision to cancel after several arguments and tears, and a few more arguments and more tears later, his flight was booked to be back home in Austin. He was heading over to Jensen and Danneel's house for the night, mostly because he didn't know how he'd fare at home by himself. Going home meant facing an empty house and he didn't know if he could handle it.

It'd been months since Kate had left him, but it was a wound that hadn't completely healed all the way yet. They were together for four years and they had planned on getting married, up until she just decided that she couldn't do it anymore. Officially, it was because of his schedule. He was always in Vancouver filming or in a different city or state entirely for most weekends out of the year appearing at conventions. Even though it took a lot out of him, it was something he wouldn't trade for the world.

But Jared knew the reasons behind her leaving weren't just because of his work or his schedule or even leaving her on her own most of the time. Instead, it had more to deal with the fact that he couldn't hold himself together. He needed her a lot more than what she was willing to give him, and he understood that. She shouldn't have had to act as glue when he started falling apart again. He remembered begging her, pleading with her not to leave. He'd get on new medication, he'd start going to therapy more than once a week – he was up to twice now —but nothing that he said had worked.

She had left, and when she did, a piece of him did, too.

"Jared?" He looked up at that, Cliff offering a small smile at him as soon as he stopped the car. "We're here, bud. You going to need help getting things in?"

"I got it. Thanks, though," Jared got out with a tight smile, shoving his phone in his jean's pocket as he unbuckled, climbing out of the van. He managed to get all of his bags and get to the door before Danneel swung it open, holding her arms out for him. He accepted the hug gratefully, willing himself not to cry as she held him. He couldn't break down yet. Just a little longer before he'd be able to do so without watchful eyes or worried expressions.

He was okay.

He had to be.

"You can sleep down the hall. I made the bed and set up anything else you'd need for the night." He smiled at her, a real one this time, and thanked her again before heading upstairs. He knew she was worried; Danneel wasn't very good at hiding her emotions, unlike Jensen. Jared guessed that was why they worked so good together sometimes. She refused to let anything go until she had answers. And usually, he'd be glad to have a listening ear, but he was far too tired to try to talk about anything else tonight.

He was looking forward to going to bed and resting as much as possible before his appointment tomorrow. Shit. Jared rolled his eyes at himself, shutting the bedroom door. He stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed, determined to try to get some sleep. But after minutes of tossing and turning, he let out a huff and reached for his jeans, digging his phone out of his pocket. Janet, his therapist, advised him against it, but he couldn't help himself as he scrolled through twitter. He was in shock. But when it came to his fans, he always was. They'd always been a safe haven to him and he knew the same held true for the fans.

_**@akfjarpadawg: Much love to an amazing guy. Hope you know we're all rooting for you. Put the mask on you first, worry about the rest later. <3 you, @jarpad!!** _

He sat up slightly when he saw the message under the hashtag he'd tweeted earlier, clicking on the profile the tweet belonged to before deciding to give the girl a follow. He'd gotten other tweets sent his way, but it seemed a little weird to be given the same advice that one of his best friends had earlier. He wasn't one to necessarily believe in fate, but he didn't know how else to describe it. He cracked a smile as he scrolled through her profile, recognizing a photo op of himself and the girl as the header. He managed to find the original tweet before favoriting it and shutting his phone off, his mind more at ease now as he drifted off to sleep.

Maybe things would be better in the morning.


	2. fight when you feel like flying

Peyton

 

Even though Peyton had been through the process before, it did little to ease her nerves.

At first, she wasn't even sure that she had done the right thing. She liked to think that she was a strong person, but being in therapy again made her feel like she was on the inside of a fish bowl. She felt vulnerable; more vulnerable than she had when she had first moved to Austin. Initially, it was just to get as far away from him as she could. Liam could never find her in an entirely different state, and Austin would be the last place he would look. Or at least, that's what she was hoping.

"I'm glad you finally took the time to come in," Janet told her with a kind smile, setting the notepad down on the table beside her chair. "I honestly think this move was good for you. You seem to be trying to face your problems head on now."

'If only you knew,' Peyton thought with a grim smile, picking at the holes in her jeans. "I'm trying to, I guess. Still having a hard time with... you know."

As much as she wanted to say his name, she couldn't bring herself to. It had been nearly a month since she had last seen him, but less than that since he had tried to contact her. She was faring pretty well for someone that was close to falling apart.

"Baby steps, Peyton," she teased, glancing over at the clock that hung over the wall.

Peyton only nodded in return before she checked the time on her phone, her knee bouncing up and down with anticipation. Her hour and a half was almost up, but it'd felt like so much longer to her. She wasn't a stranger to counseling by far, but the last time that she had gone to an appointment at her own will was something she couldn't remember. Janet was, at least, nicer than anyone she had managed to see in the past and she wasn't afraid to sugarcoat anything for the girl. She appreciated that, even though she wasn't one to take criticism very well.

"How are other things going?"

She knew that Janet was talking about her other side, one that she regretted telling her about almost immediately after. If she wouldn't have, though, Carrie would've brought it up to her therapist. She didn't see how it was especially important at first, but it was when it came to understanding the type of relationship Liam and Peyton had.

An abusive partner was something on its' own. But when the couple participated in a certain dynamic such as theirs, it was crippling on another level. Throughout the course of their relationship, Peyton had been forced to believe that Liam was only acting the way he was because he was her dominant. Of course, he had been wrong. And Janet didn't hesitate to let Peyton know that up front.

Liam was using his role as an excuse to abuse his power. Even if Peyton hadn't been submissive in nature, Liam could have easily taken advantage of her. Of course, that was only Janet's view on things, but she had been around long enough to have dealt with a variety of situations.

"I haven't... um, I haven't been able to slip into the right headspace in a while. I'm terrified to."

"And it might be that way for a while. I just want you to know that it's okay if you feel like you need a 'normal' relationship for a while before venturing into that lifestyle again. What you went through isn't something to take lightly, and I know that a certain level of trust is needed for those types of dynamics. And if you decide to jump back in, I encourage you to do so with caution and maybe try exploring different types of power exchange. Maybe something a little more nurturing."

Peyton felt her face start to burn with a blush and she told her that she would, glancing toward the clock again anxiously. Five more minutes and then she'd be done.

"And that's where we'll leave off for this time, okay? For now, your homework is going to be setting goals for yourself and exploring what makes you happy. Try doing something a little out of your comfort zone. I want you to make a list, too, of what you expect from your next relationship and if you decide to include it, what type of dynamic would you want?"

Anytime Janet used the word dynamic, her chest tightened a little more. She missed the feeling of safety that Liam provided her with

No.

She had to keep telling herself that Liam only wanted her to feel that way so she'd feel compelled to go back.

"I can do that," Peyton promised her, picking her bag up from the floor and leaving the room to make another appointment for next week. On her way out, she let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, leaning against the wall.

"Shit."

"That bad, huh?" A familiar voice, smiling up at her when she walked out. Carrie stood up, linking arms with her friend as they started their walk outside.

"Horrible."

Carrie laughed as they got into her car, pulling a sweatshirt on over her scrubs. She turned the air on before pulling away from the curb, looking over at her friend. "Your horrible or mine?"

Peyton debated that for a second before a small smile made it to her lips. "Okay, whatever, mine."

"Drama queen."

"At least I'm a queen."

Carrie scoffed, slapping Peyton's arm lightly. Peyton didn't know how she had managed to get so lucky when it came to their friendship. They had managed to survive the shit high school had thrown at them, though she thought college was a lot more of a challenge. Peyton was a drop-out but swore up and down she was going to go back, even though she didn't really need to. She had a pretty good resume and in a bigger city like Austin, she could get hired on for nothing less than fifteen an hour. Carrie, on the other hand, had managed to graduate nursing school with flying colors at the age of twenty-one.

Carrie would've been happy staying in their little town, but as soon as things with Liam had gone down, she was ready to do anything she could for Peyton. Even if that meant moving a state away and starting over at entirely new hospital, even if the pay was better than she could've imagined.

 **@jarpad** **has** **started** **following** **you**.

 **New message request** **from @jarpad**

Peyton looked over at Carrie, who was too busy arguing over the phone with one of her self-entitled co-workers to notice that her eyes were as wide as saucers. Apparently, the girl was someone that Carrie had hated since high school, and she didn't know how she managed to get her RN in the first place. Peyton held her breath as they came to a stop, opening the message hesitantly.

**I just wanted to say thank you for that tweet. Crazy as it sounds, I needed to be reminded of that again. Cute pictures, by the way (:**


	3. wanna get a little lost in the noise

_**Jared** _

"Are you sure you're ready to go back?" It was a question that Jared had been debating for a while, too, but that didn't mean hearing someone else ask it would make his answer any easier. He felt ready, but he knew that dealt more with him being ready to get out of his damn house. He had ended up staying a few more days than he had intended to at Jensen and Danneel's place, but now that he was home, he was more than a little stir-crazy.

Sure, he'd gotten take out a few times and he'd been to counseling more than he cared to admit over the past two weeks, but that didn't necessarily count. He had called in the food and it was delivered, and Janet made trips out to his house a few times. She had reminded him (several times) to take this time 'for himself', but Jared was at his wit's end. He needed to go out, even if it was business related.

"It's just to check up on the bar, man. I've told you a thousand times that I'm okay," Jared all but snapped at his best friend.

The older man let out a sigh as he set his glass down on the counter, holding his hands up. "Just checking."

Jared felt a small smile tug at his lips as his phone lit up, sneaking a glance at Jensen. Jensen smirked as Jared tapped away at a reply, clearing his throat. "Okay, so what's the story with this chick, Jay?"

Jared shrugged, a sheepish smile on his face as he grabbed his jacket from the couch, pulling it on. "Dunno what you're talking about."

The older man snorted, tossing a pair of keys in Jared's direction as he shut the door behind them. "I haven't seen you this... happy in a while. I'm not stupid." Jared only smirked at him as a response, choosing to say nothing. He didn't want to jinx anything with this girl, so he figured the less he said, the better. After a few days of sending scattered messages back and forth over Twitter, he decided to risk asking for her number. Since then, they were talking everyday about everything and nothing. He left out that she was a fan to his therapist and to Jensen, but he didn't see how it affected whatever it was that they were. She didn't treat him any differently so as far as he was concerned, there wasn't an issue.

For a second, Jared debating asking Peyton to meet him at the bar. He didn't know why, but he was nervous at the thought of seeing her. Technically, they had met before, but this would be different. This was Jared without barriers and without a filter. He didn't have to necessarily keep up appearances and he was able to really be himself.

_What if she only liked the Jared that she had met during conventions?_

He shook the thoughts off as he replied, adjusting his position in the passenger seat of his truck. As soon as Jensen parked, Jared was out of the truck and heading straight for the back entrance of the bar. Any nerves he had before completely disappeared as he went inside, the dim lights and country music putting him at ease. As soon as his bartender saw him, he slid him a beer that Jared accepted graciously, taking a swig. God, had he missed this.

Jensen was soon to follow, sitting on a stool beside Jared. "Think you'll get back out there?"

Jared rolled his eyes as Jensen motioned toward the girls that lined the floor, most of them oblivious to the men's presence. Jared let out a snort, turning to face his friend. "Told you, dude, not interested."

Jensen shrugged in response, ordering a round of drinks before venturing off to find one of their other friends. Jensen had made it a point to invite whoever happened to be in town the minute Jared had agreed to go out with him since the two were set to leave for filming soon. Shit. Speaking of, Jared was supposed to make plans with Peyton before they left, courtesy of Janet's advice. Since the two had started talking, his thoughts wandered less to Kate and he found it easy to talk the girl, which was something he couldn't say was too easy when it came to Kate. Jared cursed as soon as he stood, nearly knocking a shorter girl over that had come to the bar. He let out a laugh as she started muttering a slew of apologies before he brushed it off, helping steady her.

"What the hell are you apologizing for? I ran into you."

She laughed, shaking her head at him. When she looked up, though, the grin he was wearing only stretched and her face managed to turn an even brighter red, if it were possible. For a second, his heart was in his throat and he was sure he looked like an idiot for staring. Peyton was prettier in person, as cliche as it sounded, and he was painfully reminded of how long it had been since he had interacted with a woman that he was even remotely invested in. He was nervous. Granted, he didn't plan on seeing her tonight, either.

Shouldn't he say something?

"Well, it's not the way I planned on running into you, but I guess you could say I'm falling for you." Jared groaned inwardly as realization set in; did he really fucking say that?

Peyton laughed and some of his anxiety settled before he apologized and ran a hand through his hair. She held her hand out for him to take, smiling up at him. He couldn't help but grin as she did, taking her hand in his.

"I guess we've officially met, then? Peyton."

"Jared."

And again, Jared wasn't one to believe in fate, but it seemed like _something_ wanted to entertain the idea.


	4. your heart on mine

Peyton

"Do you wanna get out of here?"

Jared had leaned down to ask, his breath hitting her ear as his hand rested easily on her hip. She couldn't help the grin that spread across her face and the shiver that settled down her spine at Before she answered, she looked to Carrie. Her best friend was too far away to hear anything, but judging by the look on her face, it wasn't that hard to guess what was going on.

Carrie was making obscene gestures, and Peyton chose to blame that on the color her face was turning rather than Jared's proximity and touch.

He was quick to lead her out of the bar and towards his vehicle, grabbing a blanket from the backseat to spread out in the bed of the truck. At realizing what he meant, she relaxed a little, letting out a small laugh.

She hadn't pegged him as the sort to take a girl home the first night, and she was glad her assumptions were right.

"Look a little relieved there," Jared teased, turning back around to face her with a crooked smile, letting the tailgate down. "Afraid I was the other kind of guy you meet in the bar?"

She shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself as the wind picked up around them. "Hardly."

"Here, c'mere."

She waited expectantly as he shifted around for a second, holding his hands out for her to take. Even if she could have made the jump, she was a lot shorter than him and Jared obviously knew that. He lifted her with ease and she settled in next to him before he offered her his jacket.

Peyton was going to end up swooning if he managed to be anymore perfect.

For a while, they sat in silence. Neither of them felt the need to say much of anything as they watched the stars, the idling engine acting as a solace for both of them. There was something almost magical about this moment, though Peyton would've ended up scoffing at the idea close to a month ago.

She hadn't necessarily sworn off love, but she had sworn off making any connections with anyone other than anything platonic for a while. She didn't feel ready to let herself go again; she didn't want to open herself up to more heartache and she sure as hell wasn't ready to trust anyone yet. She didn't deserve to be loved when she wasn't whole. When she wasn't stable.

Liam would have laughed at her because she was an idiot to believe that someone could love her after him. He was only capable of loving a broken person; everyone else would be stupid not to run. He was the only one that would love her and accept her. All of her. She almost felt him there, taunting her with the idea of Jared knowing who she was beyond the outer layers. He would never be what Liam was; he'd swear her off as soon as he found out her tastes weren't vanilla.

"What are you thinking about, Peyton?"

Jared's voice was soft and he could tell she had drifted too far into her thoughts just by the concerned expression he was wearing. She felt her eyes start to water slightly before she blinked them away, gnawing on her lip lightly. "Just...things. I don't know, I'm sorry."

He ran a hand through his hair before folding his legs underneath him, giving her a small smile. "When Kate...when my ex left me, I felt like I wasn't worthy of letting someone else in, you know? And I felt guilty for a long time because what if I had moved on and she decided to finally come back? Fuck, I can't say that I haven't felt a lot like that lately. But I know that isn't true. Any part of it. And for what it's worth, you shouldn't believe it, either."

"How did you know?"

"I know that look," Jared told her with a slightly bitter laugh, turning to face her fully. "And I get it. I just wanted you to know that you're not alone."

Peyton let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding before the next one came out more choked than the other and she felt tears slide down her cheeks. In a matter of seconds, she was surrounded in warmth, the smell of Jared's cologne engulfing her. She held onto him and managed to calm herself down, wiping her face with a small laugh. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. God, you probably think I'm some kind of wreck. I don't usually cry on people I've just met."

"I tend to make a lot of people cry," Jared laughed against her hair before allowing her to sit up, his hands returning to his own hair, something of a nervous habit of his. "And you're not a wreck, sweetheart. You're okay."

Peyton tried to let his words sink in. She needed to stop thinking everyone viewed her as something just because Liam said they would. Listening to Liam and giving his words value did little to help her or her mental health. And she was trying to get better. Slowly but surely. "Thank you. Really. And for what it's worth, you're not alone, either."

"I appreciate that," Jared muttered softly before his mind drifted to what he had originally planned to do. "Oh, shit. Right. I know this is sudden or maybe it isn't, really, but would you like to get coffee or something tomorrow?"

"Since you're falling for me and all, I think it'd be rude of me not to accept," she teased, smirking at him.

The older man let out a groan as he shook his head. "I was hoping you'd forgotten that."

"Oh, no, Padalecki. You're never living that down."

"Fuck me," Jared laughed, looking up at the sound of the back door opening and closing. Carrie was walking out behind Jensen and a few of of their friends, keys already in her hand. She smirked at Jared before looking to her friend, walking over to their car slowly as she watched the pair.

"Guess that's my cue," Peyton grinned before sliding off of the edge of the tailgate carefully, holding Jared's jacket out to him when she landed. "And the answer's yes, by the way."

"Keep it. Insurance that you'll show."

Peyton rolled her eyes at the smirk on his face before folding the jacket over her arms, starting the walk to Carrie's car. "Night, Jared."

"Goodnight, Peyton."

Carrie was nearly buzzing when her friend reached her, all but exploding when they were inside and out of earshot. "Okay, so tell me that fuck you wasn't out of context."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear your guys' thoughts so far!


	5. i'm watching you this time

**Jared**

Jared's knee was bouncing and he couldn't keep still, though he couldn't decide if it was from nerves or anticipation. He guessed both, but his guess was as good as anyone else's. He was already in Janet's office, his eyes travelling over the various certifications and awards on the walls. In the corner to his right sat a shelf containing self-help books on just about _everything_.

He would know; he had become well acquainted with the shelf and its contents.

"Sorry about that," Janet told Jared with a laugh as she shut the door behind her, a pad in her hands, taking a seat across from him. "I distinctly remember you telling me that you weren't going to date again."

Jared offered a small smirk at that, pushing his hair behind his ears. "Things change, I guess. People change."

"People grow," she corrected, offering a kind smile.

He watched her as she started to write a few things down, looking back up to face him. She didn't have to tell him that she was proud because he knew Janet well enough to know that she was by now. Over the years, she had seen him at every stage, every critical point in his life. He made progress everyday, sure, but he was starting to feel like himself again. In part because he was in his own element again and he was in his own space. He loved being home almost too much, but his love for acting trumped even that.

And even though he didn't want to admit it openly just yet, he was drawn to Peyton. Swearing off love was easy when he was heartbroken and emotionally unavailable, but the second someone worth opening up to came up, he refused to let it go. Maybe that was one of his flaws. Maybe he loved too hard, too fast. Maybe he expected the best from people because he couldn't always expect it for himself.

"So you said you two are going for coffee?" Jared looked up at the question, thankful that it had broken him away from his thoughts. He considered checking his phone again to see if she had second thoughts or cancelled, but he refrained. "For now, yeah. I didn't want to scare her by asking too much. I feel like she's been through a lot and I don't want to push too hard."

Janet nodded at that, a knowing frown on her lips as she listened. Jared noticed it long enough to catch on, and for a second he felt bad for bringing it up. Granted, he figured the younger girl had been through something pretty bad. He just didn't know _how_ bad and the thought scared him. "It's a good idea. Starting off slow for both of you. I know your nature, and I think that things between the two of you would be good. But I want you to make sure you're doing it for the right reasons and not just because you feel the need to take care of other people. Because sometimes, it gets in the way of you."

He let out a breath, almost rolling his eyes. Oh, he knew he was bad about putting others before himself. Everyone loved to remind him of that anytime Kate was mentioned. "I know, and I'm being careful so far. Swear it."

Janet took that as a hint to move on and she did, throwing questions about travelling again and conventions and acting. Jared reassured her that he was well rested and ready again. Things were going to be different this time as far as he was concerned. By the time their session was up, he nearly bounded off of the couch and thanked Janet, keeping his homework in mind. He was supposed to journal everyday, so it wasn't too hard, but she wanted him to journal about the date and how he felt before and after. Nervous.

That was the most prominent emotion for the moment, and he tried to push the nagging thoughts out of his head as he stepped onto the sidewalk, shoving his hands in his pockets. He had made Jensen drop him off earlier and the small coffee-shop wasn't too far from his therapist's office, so walking would be good for him. He was going to end up being entirely too early if he drove, anyway, and he didn't want Peyton to think he was weird.

Did today count as a date?

If today went well, he knew he'd ask to see her again, but he didn't know about labels. He could definitely see himself with Peyton because they just worked together, and she was like him in a way that wasn't too much but also different in a way that was refreshing. Then, he was getting ahead of himself. Today could totally bomb and he could blow it. That wasn't what he hoped for, but things didn't always go the way he planned.

 

After half an hour had passed, Jared tried calling to see if she would pick up. He toyed with the device before letting it fall in his lap, staring absentmindedly at his forgotten coffee. She might've just been late to things so he tried not to take it too personally.

When an hour passed and Jared still hadn't heard anything, the feeling in his gut had turned to stone and he pushed away from the table, grabbing his phone and untouched coffee that had long since gotten cold.

He didn't know how he felt about being stood up yet, but he knew that he was angry that she didn't have the nerve to tell him. He didn't even look up when someone bumped into him on his way out of the door, but when he heard someone talking, he stopped.

"I'm so sorry. My boss was being an ass otherwise I would've called. I... shit, I feel so bad. Can I buy you another?"

Jared blinked, everything slowly dawning on him. She wasn't standing him up, she was at _work_. He had almost forgotten that most people had shitty nine to fives that paid next to nothing, but he considered hers a little more so because of her uniform.

"No," He was quick to answer, the corner of his mouth turning up a little. "I'm buying. But only because I feel terrible for you."

Her eyebrows pulled together and she opened her mouth to protest before he grabbed her lightly by the elbow, pulling her over the counter. He asked, or demanded, rather that she order whatever she wanted. As soon as they had their drinks, a coffee and milkshake, respectively, he led her over to where he was sitting earlier.

"Just to be clear, I only feel bad for you because of the uniform. You almost look like you're in school."

She rolled her eyes, playing with the straw. "Khaki pants and a button down is _that_ bad?"

"Not bad, just boring."

"Retail is boring," Peyton quipped, letting out a laugh as she mixed the whip scream into the shake.

Jared scrunched his nose up as she did that, letting out an exasperated sigh. "You mix your whipped scream into your shake and you work in retail. Anything else that I should know?"

"I still sleep with a stuffed animal and I binge on shows that have been cancelled because I love to torture myself."

He let out a laugh, shaking his head. "What's his name?" He figured that if she still slept with it, it had to have a name. And if it didn't, he was convinced it wouldn't work. Based on principle.

"Sammy."

He only grinned, taking a sip of his coffee. "Damn, I'm beginning to think you're just after me because of the show."

"Actually, I'm more of a Cas girl," she said with a smirk. She stared at him with a smug expression, ducking when he threw a sugar packet in her direction

. "Traitor."

The more they talked, the more Jared was starting to realize he was already planning ahead. He knew the basics now: her favorite color, what foods she liked and absolutely hated, the music she listened to and what she did for fun. In return, he had offered just as much.

"So I guess it's just because you were at work, but I think something's missing," Jared finally decided to bring up, folding his hands in front of him on the table. She blushed, pushing the hair out of her face before she laughed, mimicking his actions

. "Maybe it was because of work. Maybe it was because I'm a very forgetful person. Maybe... you'll never know."

"Oh, I'll get it out of you, kid. Just wait."

"I'm pretty impatient," Peyton told him bravely.

But as quickly as she had said it, she seemed to retreat into herself, a shy smile playing on her lips as her face turned pink.

"You know what that means, right?" He had started to ask, tossing his drink in the trash as he stood up, a hand on the small of her back as he led her outside. He didn't wait for a response as they stood on the sidewalk, burying his hands in his pockets again. "Means we'll have to do this again."

"Or we could go get it," Peyton suggested, a hint of color still on her face. "I mean, if you don't have plans? I could cook or something since you paid for coffee, but I mean, it might be too sudden or whatever. Only if you're okay with it? I just--."

Jared cut her off with a laugh, sensing that she thought she had pushed the envelope. Strangely, he didn't feel like it would be. He liked being around her and she was the one to suggest hanging out afterwards. "That sounds nice. But only if you drive."

If coffee hadn't been a date, he guessed this was certainly going to be.

"Deal."


End file.
